Field of the Invention
This disclosure pertains in general to the field of dentistry. More particularly the disclosure relates to a method and system for planning of dental restorative procedures and for producing dental restorations and/or products related to the dental restorative procedures.
Description of the Related Art
In dental repair applications, conventionally a working dental cast in plaster of the patient's dentition was often provided, which was made by means of impressions taken from the patient and filled with plaster. The working dental cast was then mounted in an articulator with the aid of a bite index taken, ensuring the correct positioning and registering of the dental cast. The dental restoration was then produced on the working dental cast obtained. Accuracy was checked by means of the articulator.
However, this type of production comprised a multitude of time consuming manual working operations that had to be performed. A rationalizing step was to scan the working cast with a three-dimensional (3-D) scanner, e.g. Procera Forte®. Subsequently, the dental restoration was electronically designed, e.g. by means of the Procera® CAD system. From the CAD data obtained, the dental restoration, such as a bridge, was manufactured. Veneering was eventually performed and the dental restoration was Procera® CAD system. From the CAD data obtained, the dental restoration, such as a bridge, was manufactured. Veneering was eventually performed and the dental restoration was finalized by grinding, and checking with help of the articulator. Finally, the dental restoration was installed in the patient. Still, a plaster cast was necessary, and manual working operations related thereto were required, including grinding of the plaster cast, drilling of holes in the plaster cast, pinning of the plaster cast, casting of a supporting base plate, grinding of the base plate, sectionizing of the plaster cast, etc.
Improved systems have been presented in the international applications WO02/053056 and WO2005/055856 of the same applicant as the present application for planning surgery. In these publications, a double scan technique is disclosed, comprising a first CT scan of a jaw region of a patient with a radiographic guide, and possibly a radiographic index inserted in its mouth, as well as a second CT scan of solely the radiographic guide without the radiographic index.
The computer based dual scan technique provides reliable and safe planning and production of a surgical template. However, a CT related issue is that CT scanning sometimes is not capable of accurately representing the oral anatomy. For instance, existing metal based dental restorations in the patient may cause severe scattering during CT scanning. Furthermore, CT scans, which are often repeated during subsequent examinations of the patient, present a substantial load of radiation as the whole skull is exposed to radiation from the CT scanner during the first CT scan. Hence, another issue is that the amount of radiation to which the patient is exposed to during the preparation of data for planning of dental restorative procedures and production of dental restorations and related products is to be minimized.
Moreover, the second CT scan of solely the radiographic guide does sometimes not provide sufficient accurate data so that the surgical template designed in the CAD system from the CT scan data acquired by this second CT scan may in some situations cause a deteriorated patient fit. One reason for this is that CT scan data does not have sufficient data accuracy for producing a dental restoration, such as a coping, abutment, bridge, crown, anatomic abutment, anatomic crown, inlay, onlay, etc. from that CT scan data.
Furthermore, there is still a need for minimizing the number of steps necessary for planning of dental restorative procedures and production of dental restorations and related products.
Hence, an improved system for planning of dental restorative procedures and production of dental restorations and related products, would be advantageous.